MERU, Kenya — Residents in Meru County have been urged to acquire basic first-aid skills, with health experts warning that timely intervention can make the difference between life and death in emergencies.
The call was made during activities to mark World First Aid Day, where members of the community were trained on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), wound management, choking response and basic treatment of burns.
Experts at the event said prompt and appropriate first aid before the arrival of emergency medical services can significantly improve the chances of survival for victims of accidents and other emergencies.
Research cited during the event indicates that up to 59 per cent of injury-related deaths could potentially be prevented if appropriate first aid is administered before professional medical help arrives.
Lewa Conservancy Head of Community Development Lawrence Riungu said first-aid knowledge should not be limited to health professionals but should be available within households and communities.
“Every household should have at least one person who has knowledge of first aid because emergencies can happen at any time,” Riungu said.
The training comes amid concerns over road safety along the Meru-Nanyuki Highway, where frequent road crashes have increased the need for members of the public to have basic emergency response skills.
Lewa Clinic nurse Muatai Geoffrey said first-aid training was particularly important for communities living along busy transport corridors, where victims may require immediate assistance before ambulances or other emergency responders arrive.
Boda boda riders, who are often among the first people to reach road crash scenes, were also trained during the event and equipped with basic first-aid kits.
Their representative, David Koome, welcomed the initiative, saying the training had given riders practical skills to provide immediate assistance while awaiting professional medical care.
Koome thanked Lewa for equipping the riders with both knowledge and first-aid kits, saying the intervention could help save lives at accident scenes.
The annual World First Aid Day was marked under the theme “First Aid in Migration Contexts,” highlighting the importance of access to basic emergency care and safety for people on the move.
Organizers said strengthening first-aid skills at community level could help build more resilient communities capable of responding effectively to accidents and medical emergencies before specialized help arrives.
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